Contactless battery charging apparel

ABSTRACT

A sequential power transmission between a portable user-carried battery and first and second independent accessories. At least one primary inductive coupling coil is mounted on an article of apparel worn by the user, so as to place a primary coil adjacent a first intermediary inductive coupling coil on the first independent accessory. The energizing of the first intermediary coil energizes a second intermediary coil on the first independent accessory. The second intermediary coil, when energized, energizes a secondary coil on the second independent accessory for powering the use, including the charging of the batteries of that accessory.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of devices for contactlessinductively-coupled charging of batteries, and in particular tocontactless battery charging apparel having a means of providingperipheral electronic device distributed battery charging without theuse of mechanical conductive contacts by using contactless inductiveloop technology.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The future soldier will be equipped with a comprehensive array ofelectronic devices that provide him with C4I (Command, Control,Communications, Computer, Intelligence) situational awareness andtargeting capability. The equipment must be both sophisticated andrugged.

Common to every piece of electronic equipment is its requirement forpower. Electrical power is provided to all man portable electronicdevices via a battery source that is typically small cell designs suchas commercially designated AAA, AA, C and various military batteryconfigurations. All the devices have different power needs and thereforethe batteries for each device have different voltages, current and powercell size requirements.

When a soldier is tasked with a mission he must replenish all thebatteries in all of the electronic devices he will be carrying. Thesoldier must also determine if the duration of the mission will requirehim to carry spare batteries for his equipment especially if he will bedismounted and away from support for the duration of the mission.

Contactless inductive energy transfer is known in the art as aconvenient way to transfer energy. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos.6,490,176 and 5,959,433, and published United States PatentApplications, Publication Nos. US2004/0189246 and US2004/0145343. Whatis addressed are ways to charge a battery in a discrete electronicdevice such as a cell phone, computer mouse, tooth brush, etc using astatically placed charger where the coil or loop in the charger istypically powered from mains electrical power so as to induce a currentin the coil or loop in the discrete electronic device when the deviceand charger are in proximity. Typically the current in the coil or loopof the electronic device is rectified so as to provide direct current tocharge the battery of the device.

What is neither taught nor suggested, and it is one object of thepresent invention to provide, is the use of a charging coil or loop ormultiple charging coils or loops mounted to an article of apparel suchas for example military load carriage vests, tactical pants, shirt,utility webbing or other load carriage purpose-designed apparel or thepockets associated with same, wherein the main power source for thecharging coil or loops is a portable DC battery(ies) and carried on theusers, for example on the apparel, so that various and multipleelectronic devices having inductively chargeable batteries may beoperatively carried and simultaneously on a demand basis charged whilein use or being merely carried by a user such as a soldier.

Existing and future electronic equipment currently have a variety ofwire harnesses between the devices for the purpose of power and datatransmission. In order to standardize both power and data transmissionconnectors NATO has established a working group to identify and resolvehow different countries connect their soldier mounted electronicequipment and to develop standard connector configurations.

With the advent of militarized Bluetooth®, USB and other wirelesscommunication protocols, data transfer wires between soldier carriedportable electronic devices are being rendered obsolete, however theprovision of power to these devices still requires hard wired orbreakaway umbilical power cords, or device specific battery replacementthat requires a comprehensive battery logistic supply plan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system is described that alleviates the significant battery powerlogistic issues or hard wired power cable issues that are created by theuse of soldier mounted electronic devices. Although practical now forone skilled in the art, this type of system will continue to be evermore practical as advances in power management reduce peripheral devicepower requirement and allow a low power trickle charge system to be usedto advantage.

In one aspect, the contactless battery charging system according to thepresent invention is for inductive charging of rechargeable batteriesoperatively connected to secondary, inductive coupling coils in portableelectronic devices when carried on or otherwise mounted on apparel meantto be worn by a user. The system may be characterized in one aspect asincluding:

-   -   a) a plurality of primary inductive coupling coils and        corresponding driving circuits mounted to an article of apparel,        so as to place the coils adjacent inductive coupling coils in        electronic devices when the electronic devices are releasably        mounted to the article by mounting means; and,    -   b) a primary battery or batteries mounted or releasably        mountable to the article of apparel and used to power the        distributed individual primary inductive charging circuits.

By means of a distributed DC power conductor system that is terminatedat a plurality of nodes, at each node is located a primary inductivecoil and DC/AC driving circuit that couples to and inductively transfersenergy to a secondary coil that then through a AC/DC rectifier chargingcircuit charges the rechargeable battery that is located in a portableelectronic device which is carried on or otherwise mounted on apparel tobe worn by the user. Alternatively, the AC (oscillator) drive circuitmay be centrally located at the main battery power source and an ACcircuit be transmitted to all the nodes.

The mounting means may include sleeves, pouches, pockets, or releasablefasteners such as snaps or hook-and-loop fasteners, carabiners, hooks,clamps, etc.

The coils may be of different types, and without intending to belimiting may be made from round, square or other section wire that isbonded or unbonded, foils, include wound planar, toroidal or customshaped coils, with a round, rectangular, oval, triangular or other shaperegular or irregular, with an air core or a ferrite, or powdered ironcore or other material core or housing. Further the coils and drivingcircuit may be printed on a rigid or flexible printed circuit board orother substrates such as that demonstrated by radio frequencyidentification (RFID) antenna. A wide range of frequencies can be usedfor inductively coupled charging however, frequency ranges for efficientinductive coupling are typically between 50-400 KHz but are not limitedto this frequency range and could also take advantage of very highfrequencies for example, 13.56 MHz as used by RFID technology.

The size or power rating of the charging circuit is not limited, howeverif very large power charging requirements are necessary two or morediscrete charging circuits and associated coils may be placed proximalto each other to take advantage of location size restrictions.

Corresponding primary charging coils in the apparel and secondarycharging coils in electronic devices may be matched so as to be of thesame type. An air gap between planar, toriod or other shape of coils maybe provided by a thickness of fabric from which the article isfabricated and the lamination or enclosure for environmental andmechanical protection of the charging circuits. The coils may beoriented so as to lie flush, parallel or perpendicular or in any otherorientation to the surface of a user's skin. The coils may also beoriented so as to lie flush or having a stand-off distance from theuser's body.

Where multiple electronic devices are mounted as a subsystem on aseparate platform such as a weapon or a helmet, charging coils can belocated so that power is provided to the entire subsystem. For examplewhere electronic devices are mounted to a rifle or other shoulder-firedor shoulder-carried weapon, equipment or instrument or tool orimplement, the mounting means may include a pad or plate mountedadjacent a user's shoulder when in firing position or hip when incarrying position on the article of apparel or garment (collectivelyherein referred to as a “garment”) so that a primary charging coil inthe pad or plate is adjacent to the secondary coil in the rifle buttwhen properly positioned on the user's shoulder or hip. Alternatively,the mounting means is a glove having a coil in the palm for inductivecoupling to a coil in the grip of a weapon, tool, implement, etc, inwhich embodiment the driving circuit may be remotely located distal fromthe glove or palm.

The articles of apparel (the “garment”) may thus include webbing, vests,backpacks, harnesses, coats, shirts, belts, pants, shorts, gloves,goggles, glasses, hats, helmets.

The electrical conductors may include flexible wiring harnesses embeddedin the articles of apparel or the use of conductive fabric. Power maythus be transferred through a power transmission harness, that may bewires or conductive fabric, to the charging locations or nodes that arepositioned in predetermined locations on the garment or apparel. Foradditional robustness and safety the power transmission harness couldalso include safety devices such as re-settable poly switches that wouldactivate in the event of a short circuit.

Battery charging may thus be provided on a demand basis to those devicesthat have a depleted energy level. So as to conserve power, intelligentprimary circuits can be designed that only provide power to the primarycharging coil when a secondary coil is placed proximal activationdistance using hall effect or similar proximity sensors. Secondarycharging circuits can be designed to accommodate all chemistries ofrechargeable batteries such as but not limited to NiCd, NiMH, Li-Poly,Lithium Ion.

In summary, in a further aspect the present invention may becharacterized as including an inductively coupled sequential powertransmission system having:

-   -   a) a primary power source adapted for portable wearing by a        user;    -   b) a garment having an electrically conductive first electrical        network mounted therein wherein the first electrical network has        an infeed end mountable to, in electrical communication with,        the primary power source, and outfeed nodes;    -   c) a first set of electrically conductive primary coils        electrically connected to the outfeed nodes;    -   d) a first independent accessory, that is, an accessory which is        not electro-mechanically coupled or tethered or otherwise        attached to the garment or its nodes, having an inductively        coupled sequential power transmission sub-system mounted        thereon, wherein the sub-system includes a second electrical        network having at least one electrically conductive conduit        extending from an infeed end to an outfeed end, and wherein at        least one electrically conductive first intermediary coil is        mounted at the infeed end of the second electrical network in        electrical communication therewith and wherein at least one        electrically conductive second intermediary coil is mounted at        the outfeed end of the second electrical network; and,    -   e) a second independent accessory having an electrically        conductive secondary coil which is adjacent the at least one        electrically conductive second intermediary coil when the first        and second independent accessories are in use by the user so as        to energize the secondary coil when the at least one        electrically conductive second intermediary coil is energized,        whereby an end use of the second independent accessory is        energized by the energizing of the secondary coil.

When the first independent accessory is in use by the user a firstintermediary coil is adjacent a primary coil of the first set ofelectrically conductive primary coils so as to inductively couple theprimary coil to the first intermediary coil when the former is energizedto thereby energize a second intermediary coil. The second intermediarycoil then energizes a secondary coil on the second independent accessorythereby powering an end use of that accessory, for example charging itsbattery or providing for the designed use of that accessory.

When the garment is for wearing on a torso of the user and when thefirst accessory includes a helmet, a first intermediary coil may bemounted at an upper-most end of the garment and adjacent the helmet whenworn by the user in which case a first intermediary coil may be mountedat a lower edge of the helmet. The second accessory may then include ahelmet mountable accessory or accessories are chosen from the groupcomprising: logic processors, data processors, night vision goggles,communication devices, display devices, audio devices includingheadphones or microphone, three-dimensional sound location systems,video devices. A second intermediary coil may thus be mounted at aforward facing surface of the helmet.

The first accessory may include a first rechargeable batteryelectrically connected to the second electrical network for rechargingof the first rechargeable battery from the energizing of a firstintermediary coil. The second accessory may include a secondrechargeable battery electrically connected to the secondary coil forrecharging of the second rechargeable battery from the energizing of thesecondary coil.

In a further example wherein the garment is for wearing on at least atorso of the user, the first accessory may be weapon sub-system and theprimary coils may include a primary coil mounted on a shoulder portionof the garment so as to abut against a stock of the weapon sub-systemwhen shoulder-mounted by the user. In a preferred embodiment, a firstintermediary coil may be mounted on the stock of the weapon sub-system,for example the stock of a rifle, so as to be then adjacent the primarycoil on the shoulder portion. In a further preferred embodiment, whenthe garment also covers a hip portion of the user a primary coil may bemounted on the hip portion of the garment so as to be adjacent the stockof the weapon sub-system when carried on the hip by the user in ahip-carrying mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is, in front elevation view, a military style vest containingcontactless battery charging devices for charging electronic devicesplaced in pockets or mounted to the vest.

FIG. 1 a is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 b is an alternative embodiment of the contactless batterycharging device of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 2 is, in rear elevation view, the vest of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is, in perspective view, the vest of FIG. 1 in use.

FIG. 4 is an electrical diagrammatic view of a portion of the vest ofFIG. 1 wherein oscillator driving circuits and inductive loops arepositioned at each charging node.

FIG. 5 is an alternative electrical diagrammatic view of a portion ofthe vest of FIG. 1, wherein a central oscillator drives inductive coilsat each charging node.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

An average consumer in today's society is faced daily with the use of,or with others using, discrete portable handheld electronic devicesincluding toothbrushes, shavers, cellular telephones, personal musicplayers, cameras, digital organizers, laptop computers, etc. Many ofthese devices employ rechargeable batteries requiring that, on typicallyfrustratingly frequent intervals, the batteries must be charged from amains electrical supply. Such a mains electrical supply may take theform of a wall-socket plug-in transformer having an electrical cable theend of which is mated to the electronic device, a docking station havingelectrical contacts for mating with corresponding contacts on theelectronic device, or, as already described, inductive-charging baseunits.

The average consumer may at any one time during, for example, in atypical work day, be carrying two or three such electronic devices, thebatteries of which will require charging at some point. The advantagethat such a consumer has is that at some point, on a regular andfrequent interval, the consumer will return to an office, residence,hotel, etc where the consumer will expect to reside for long enough sothat an electronic device, if connected to mains, will have time toadequately re-charge its battery or batteries.

Consider now an entirely less civilized and entirely less routineenvironment; that of the battlefield. The notion of a single soldierbeing a stand-alone “army-of-one” may in some circumstances be true,although perhaps more commonly a single soldier forms but one entity ina cohesive small group, such as a platoon, which itself moves andfunctions as a single cohesive entity, itself part of a larger cohesivemilitary body being co-ordinated with other such bodies for theattainment of a strategic objective. The latter is obtained bysuccessfully obtaining often innumerable much lesser objectives by theformer. All of which have to be co-ordinated typically by audio, visualand data transfer by radio and other telemetry means. Consequently, inorder to function as a stand alone “army-of-one” a soldier must be ableto operate his weaponry, communications and sensing devices and otherequipment for long periods of time independently of any centralizedequivalent of a civilian mains electrical power supply. Further, inorder to function as a co-ordinated element in a military campaign,operability of a soldiers weapons, communication equipment, computerequipment, if any, or like data processors, navigational equipment, etc,again for long periods of time independently of any centralizedequivalent of a civilian mains electrical power supply is paramount.Future forces must be easy to deploy and sustain and must have powersystems that are adaptable to changing missions, that is, be tacticallyflexible, and must therefore offer integrated modular solutions.

Consequently the need exists, and the present invention provides, forthe recharging of a soldier's electronic devices by inductive couplingof a loop or coil, whether it be toroidal, planar, printed or otherwise,in each such electronic device when the device is placed on, or proximalto, mounted to, carried near, or stored in a piece of apparel so as tocooperate with corresponding charging loops or coils in or on theapparel. Power to the coils is provided through, for example, a discretewiring harness from a central larger capacity battery(ies) worn by thesoldier. The system could have a dual (split for example on the left andright of the torso) battery power supply that would provide significantperformance advantages from an ergonomic, practical and damage tolerant(redundancy) perspectives.

Take for example, and without intending to be limiting, the militaryvest 10 of FIGS. 1-3. Shoulder straps 12 support panels 14 on eitherflank of torso 16. Pockets 18 are mounted to panels 14 and straps 12.Additional containers 20 may also be mounted to the sides and rear ofvest 10. A main battery 22 is carried on, or is removably mounted to, awaist belt 24 for example to the rear of vest 10. Waist belt 24 may, butneed not necessarily be, integral to vest 10 so long as electricalwiring 26 in vest 10 may be electrically connected to battery 22. Coilsor loops 28 such as toroidal coil 28 a or planar coils 28 b are mountedinto panels 14 or into the walls of pockets 18, or in such otherlocations so as to be adjacent corresponding inductive charging coils orloops 30 in the soldier's electronic accessories or devices, such as GPS32 or night-vision goggles 34. GPS 32 and goggles 34 representrechargeable tools, but are not intended to be limiting.

Examples, but not intended to be limiting, of military devices thatwould be on or carried by a soldier, and which would require re-designedinductively charged battery packs according to the present invention,but not re-designed devices, and which thus provide for moving acrosstechnology generations include:

-   -   a) for the body: flashlight, GPS, radio (unit+command), PDA,        computer, interface device (display, mouse and keyboard),        biometric and wound sensing systems, NBC sensors    -   b) for the helmet: night vision, heads up display, daytime        video, earphones and microphone, 3D sound location system    -   c) for the rifle: the weapon itself, laser aiming module, video        sight, thermal sight, red dot sight        -   Inductive loops may be placed in two principle types of            location, namely:    -   a) pockets intended for the stowage of electronic devices,        wherein a loop would be placed inside a pocket, and wherein the        loop may be either planar, toriodal, printed or otherwise or a        loop designed for interface to specific item (for example        flashlight), and    -   b) locations not used for storage of electronic devices, for        example external locations such as a rifle butt pad, and which        also may include areas such as the collar to provide an        interface to the helmet; and, shoulder and hip locations to        provide charging to rifle butt and rifle mounted devices.

It is understood that the reference to rifle is not intended to belimiting as other weapon sub-systems may be substituted, although thesewill likely be weapons having a stock or other structure allowing forthe shoulder mounting of the weapon sub-system, (collectively referredto herein as a stock).

The present invention also is intended to include within its scope theuse of sequential loops, for example vest collar to a first accessorysuch as a helmet, and then from the helmet to a second accessory such asan earpiece and microphone. Sequential power transmission to the remoteaccessory or device is by the use of a sequential array of inductiveloops 28 which may be brought into coupled proximity with each otherduring ordinary use of, for example, the vest, helmet and headset. Thusas seen in FIG. 3, power is transferred from a primary coil such as loop28 on collar 10 a of vest 10 to an adjacent first intermediary coil suchas loop 28 on the lower edge 36 a on helmet 36, and then, via a secondelectrical wiring network 38, to a second intermediary coil such as loop28 on the front surface 36 b of the helmet. Power may then betransferred inductively from the second intermediary coil to a secondarycoil such as loop 30 on a helmet-mounted sub-system. The same sequentialpower transmission principle may be applied to supply power to weaponsub-systems by sequential power transmission fromo the vest or othergarment to the weapon stock and then to the sub-system.

The benefits of each electronic device having a contactless chargingsystem according to the present invention may include:

-   -   Mechanical charging contacts are eliminated from the exterior of        the device allowing the device to be made environmentally        rugged.    -   The device is constantly charged when stowed and will be kept at        an optimal state of readiness.    -   Access to batteries is significantly reduced as the batteries do        not have to be accessed or replaced on a regular basis, this in        turn means:        -   Battery compartment covers are no longer required to be            readily opened for battery access. This reduces the            opportunity for battery compartment covers to be lost or            broken when on or between missions. Serviceability of            equipment therefore is higher and the requirement for spare            equipment is reduced. Significant reduction of equipment            failure during missions would be realized.        -   Significant improvement of support logistics as plethora of            replacement device batteries required during mission or at            base camp is eliminated        -   Daily time spent replacing numerous device batteries is            eliminated        -   Centralized larger capacity main power batteries are quickly            exchanged or more easily field charged than small capacity            device batteries    -   All electronic equipment can be used without a power cord        tethering it to the soldier eliminating potential for catching        wires, eliminating opportunity for broken power cables or        devices and increasing soldier safety.    -   System takes advantage of both distributed power from a central        source as well as maintaining power reserve at each device    -   Opportunity to reduce weight of device as batteries do not have        to have to be as large as they do not require prior reserve        capacity    -   Only the battery compartment of a device needs re-engineering,        the principle device remains unchanged.    -   When at base camp or in vehicle can connect with hard power wire        to charge main battery and peripherals at the same time.    -   Main batteries can be charged with inductive loop also when in        vehicle or at camp    -   Inductive loop charging technology readily moves across future        device generations    -   Increased compatibility between NATO forces as incompatibility        of electrical connectors is eliminated or reduced    -   Provides a platform for planned graceful power degradation to        peripheral devices    -   Provides a platform that allows for the implementation of a        central power management system that can include State of Charge        (SOC) indicators.

A further application would be on Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) orChemical Warfare (CW) clothing. As the inductive charging can powerelectronic devices through fabric, there is an opportunity to powerelectronic systems that are placed on the inside of NBC or CW garments.External power sources for devices inside the garment could easily beexchanged without the need to open the garment or requiring difficult tosecure openings or ‘vias’ that may compromise the integrity of the suitand present a life threatening situation to the user.

Inductive Loop Technology

Inductive loop and support circuits are very low profile and havevirtually no weight. Each primary power loop would typically have anominal voltage of 12, 15, 24 or 30 volts, or other voltage provided byin service and future portable military batteries, the design and numberof wire turns of the receiving or secondary charging loop/batterycharger dictate the charging voltage. A smart sensor may turn off thecircuit when charging is not required. Both the device and apparelinductive charging loops may be configured to be dedicated or generic.

Helmet and Weapon Subsystem Charging

One of the biggest complaints of the future soldier system is theumbilical, tether or cable connections that pass between the soldier andhis weapon and helmet. Significant issues arise over connector type andcompatibility, time and attention required for intentional disconnectsand reconnection, and unintentional disconnects due to snagging.Inherent in any disconnect/reconnect activity is the opportunity todamage a critical connector contact due to forcing by the user orenvironmental contamination.

As wireless transmission capabilities continue to rapidly evolve inbandwidth and security, the ability to transfer video and data withoutcables between the soldier and his sub-systems becomes more of a realityevery day.

The application of wireless data transfer and wireless power transferwould eliminate all umbilical' between the weapon and helmetsub-systems. Power will be transferred to each sub-system using coilslocated at interface areas versus storage pockets. The weapon would havetwo receiving coils in the stock and driving coils would be positionedat two locations on the soldier. A coil would be placed on the shoulderso power is transferred whenever the weapon is shouldered and nominallyat the same time many weapon components are powered up. So the weaponcomponent internal batteries can be charged while marching with theweapon slung, a primary coil would be located on the front of the loadcarriage ensemble. The helmet would require a receiving coil on the rearlower edge that would interface with a primary coil on the upper back ofthe soldier. Example electronic equipment that has the potential forinductive power charging is presented in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Example Components that can be charged with inductive couplingsystem Torso Weapon Sub-system Helmet Sub-system Physiological MonitorsNight Vision Night Vision Keyboard Thermal Weapon Sight Helmet mounteddisplay GPS Micro Laser Rangefinder Enhanced hearing Tactical Radio(s)Aiming Lights Mic/speaker Flashlight Sniper Night Vision WLAN Antenna CWSensors Smart Weapon PDA/computer Daylight video Target Locator CardReader

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of theforegoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible inthe practice of this invention without departing from the spirit orscope thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to beconstrued in accordance with the substance defined by the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An inductively coupled sequential powertransmission system comprising: a primary power source adapted forportable wearing by a user, a garment having an electrically conductivefirst electrical network mounted therein wherein said first electricalnetwork has an infeed end mountable to, in electrical communicationwith, said primary power source, and outfeed nodes, a first set ofelectrically conductive primary coils electrically connected to saidoutfeed nodes, a first independent accessory having an inductivelycoupled sequential power transmission sub-system mounted thereon,wherein said sub-system includes a second electrical network having atleast one electrically conductive conduit extending from an infeed endto an outfeed end, wherein at least one electrically conductive firstintermediary coil is mounted at said infeed end of said secondelectrical network in electrical communication therewith and wherein atleast one electrically conductive second intermediary coil is mounted atsaid outfeed end of said second electrical network, and wherein whensaid first independent accessory is in use by the user said at least oneelectrically conductive first intermediary coil is adjacent at least oneprimary coil of said first set of electrically conductive primary coilsso as to inductively couple said at least one primary coil to said atleast one first intermediary coil when the former is energized tothereby energize said at least one electrically conductive secondintermediary coil, a second independent accessory having an electricallyconductive secondary coil which is adjacent said at least oneelectrically conductive second intermediary coil when the first andsecond independent accessories are in use by the user so as to energizesaid secondary coil when said at least one electrically conductivesecond intermediary coil is energized, whereby an end use of said secondindependent accessory is energized by said energizing of said secondarycoil, wherein said garment is for wearing on at least a torso of theuser and wherein said first accessory is a weapon sub-system and whereinsaid at least one primary coil includes at least one primary coilmounted on a shoulder portion of said garment so as to abut against astock of said weapon sub-system when shoulder-mounted by the user, andwherein said at least one electrically conductive first intermediarycoil is mounted on said stock so as to be then adjacent said at leastone primary coil on said shoulder portion.
 2. The system of claim 1wherein said garment is for wearing on a torso of the user and whereinsaid first accessory includes a helmet, and wherein said at least oneelectrically conductive first intermediary coil is mounted at anupper-most end of said garment and adjacent said helmet when worn by theuser.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said second accessory includes ahelmet mountable accessory.
 4. The system of claim 3 wherein said helmetmountable accessories are chosen from the group comprising: logicprocessors, data processors, night vision goggles, communicationdevices, display devices, audio devices including headphones ormicrophone, three-dimensional sound location systems, video devices. 5.The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one first intermediary coilis mounted at a lower edge of said helmet.
 6. The system of claim 5wherein said at least one second intermediary coil is mounted at aforward facing surface of said helmet.
 7. The system of claim 1 whereinsaid first accessory includes a first rechargeable battery electricallyconnected to said second electrical network for recharging of said firstrechargeable battery from said energizing of said at least oneelectrically conductive first intermediary coil.
 8. The system of claim1 wherein said second accessory includes a second rechargeable batteryelectrically connected to said secondary coil for recharging of saidsecond rechargeable battery from said energizing of said secondary coil.9. The system of claim 1 wherein said garment covers a hip portion ofthe user and wherein said at least one primary coil is mounted on saidhip portion so as to be adjacent said stock when said weapon sub-systemis in a hip-carrying mode by the user.